Quench rotary spark gap



' UNITED- sures VPATENT-I' OFFICE.

EARL r. BELL, on INDIANAPOLIS," INDIANA;

QUENGH ROTARY SPARK GAP.

Specification of- Letters Patent. Patented Julie 6; 1922.

Application filed September 20, 1920. Serial No. 411,640.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EARL F. BELL, acitizen of the I'nited States, and a resident of IIICIIRIIHPOllS, county of Marion, and State of Indiana. have invented a certain new and useful Quench Rotary Spark Gap; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full. clear. and exact description thereof,-

reterence being had to the accompanying drawings. in .whiclrlike numerals refer to like parts. v i r This invention relates to the transmitting circuit of radio. telegraph systems wherein the spark gap is secured by a rotating element which also cools and quenches the are which tends to form when the spark is produced.

The chief object ot this inventionis to pro vide a rotary quench spark gap and enclose the same in an air, tight casing. When thus enclosed the oxygen contained within the casing is transformed bythe spark into the unstable form known'as ozone. in the' presence of .which the rotary spark quencher becomes more efficient.

The full nature of this invention will be understoodfrom the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims. v

- In the'drawings Fig. 1 1s a cross sectional view of a rotary quench spark gap device.

embodying the features of the invention and is taken along the broken line 1 1 of Fig. 2. v k view taken on the line 22 of Fig; 1 and in a plane at right angles to said figure. Fig. 3 is an end view of the observing means secured to the casing. I

In the drawings there is illustrated the which the casing may be suitably supported. in any desired position. In the present in-.

stance the casing comprises abody portion 10 and a cover portion 10',see Fig. 2, said cover portion being-secured to said body portion in any suitabl manner, as by being threaded thereto or otherwise secured by bolts and the like,.w'1th the fiddltlOIlOf an Fig. 2 is a-central cross sectional;

air tight joint between the body and the cover when in assembled relation.

\Vithin said casing is rotatably mounted a spark forming and quenching insulating disk 12,. said disk being provided with radial fin members 13 substantially near the periphery thereof, as shown. The radial fi'n members 13 are in spaced relation with each other and of any suitable number. being insulated from each other by being supported in said disk. Each fin'm'embe-r in the present con 'struction extends' outwardly. from said disk toward the flat sides of the cylindrical cask ing. "Ad acent the outwardly ext-ending ends are-suitablelterlninal'plates or contacts 14 whlch are in alignment with each other and are separated bythe insulating disk 12 and are electrically "connected together by one of said fins .13. the: latter being separated from each of said terminal plates by a small spark gap designated by the numeral 15.

In the'present arrangement four spark contacts or plates 14 are shown in spaced relation mounted within the casing 10 so that a description of the mounting of one of said "-platesfwill be sufficient for an understanding of all. The cylindrical casing 10'is provided with an-opening 16 into which is s'ecured fan insulating bushing 17 of considerable size. said; bushing 17 having a circular flange portion 18 abuttable upon the casing adjacent the o ieningv 16 Said bushing '17 may be secure inthe opening 16 by means of a. threaded engagement or by being pressed therein under -pressure, or in any other suitable manner,su'ch that an airtight joint or connection is secured between said members. The insulating bushing 17 is provided with a central opening 18 through which extends. a preferably metallic bushing orsleeve 19. The sleeve 19 is provided with a large circularfiange portion 20 upon the end which extends within the casing sothat a suitable washer or .gasket means 21 may be. interposed between the bushing 17 and the flange 20 to provide an air tight joint. The sleeve 19 is exteriorlythreaded and upon the same is secured a nut 22. by whichsaid sleeve is'rigidly and tightly secured in the central opening 18 of said insulatin'g' bushing. The] sleeve provides. a

suitable bearing: guide'forthe supporting through said sleeve and which carries upon its inner end the" contact or spark plate 14 secured thereto. in any suitable manner. The

terminal rod 23. which slidably extends terminal rod 23 is exteriorly threaded, and adjacent the outer end 'of said sleeve 19 is supported a washer or other suitable gasket necessity of opening said casing, since by,

' turning the nut the rod 23 will be moved Jtion' also permits the replacement of any of sprlng 45 upon the apex of which is suitably longitudinally -of the sleeve. This constructhe several parts should they for any reason become damaged, without the necessity of replacing the entire machine.

Adjacent each pair of oppositely and .in-

I wardly extending terminal rods 23 and in the cylindrical portion of said casing. is pIO ,vided an observation opening 28,; the edge surrounding saidopening being raised at 29 to form a seat for suitable gasket or washer means 30.- Covering said observation opening andresting upon: said gasket 30 and the supporting boss 29, is a transparent plate 31 which is preferably formed of heavy glass and suitably secured to said covering by means of the clamping fingers or members 32 secured to the cylindrical casing by means of the bolts 33.- As shown clearly inFig 3 said observation opening 28 exposes the sparking plates 14, the disk 12, the intermediate radial and transversely extending fin, 13, and especially the intervening spark gaps 15. This construction, therefore. permits the adjustment of the terminal rods 23 fromwithout the casing,and the observation opening 28 permits the observation thereof during the adjusting operation.

The means for rotatably supporting said disk and rotating the same comprise a shaft member 35,- carrying upon its outer end a. drive pulley 36 by which the same is revolved. The shaft 35 is provided with an elongated portion which is supported in an elongated bearing sleeve 37. the same being secured in an elongated bearing member 33 formed inJthe present instance in the cover plate 10?. Upon the inner end of said shaft and adjacent the bearing 37 is a collar mem ber 39 which limits thelongitudinal movement of said shaft in one direction. Adjacent the collar 39 is suitably secu'reda supporting flange or guide plate 40. and adjacent said plate is supported thefinsulated disk 12, while upon the oppositeside of said and said plates being secured together by means of a nut 42 having a threaded engagement with the inner endof the shaft 35, as shown. Adjacent thebear'ing sleeve 37 and upon the shaft 35 without the casing is a collar 43, said collar being securedto "said shaft by means of a set screw -14 to prevent longitudinal movement thereof inwardly through the bearing and into the casing.

Means, in addition to the collar ie for normally maintaining the shaft and the collar 39 in position such that the latter 'abuts'the bearing sl'eeve'37, comprises a tension means interposed between the end of said shaft and the wall of said casing opposite the cover plate 10 'In the present instance said tension means comprises a conical shaped secured a ball bearing 46, said ball bearing being substantially a thrust bearing'and being seatable in the semi-spherical. seat 47 fications thereof will suggest themselvesto those skilled in the art in addition to many of the modifications herein mentioned, all of which are within the purview of this invention. v

The invention claimed is I 1-. In a rotary quench spark gap machine including in combination an enclosing casing. a pair of separated terminals, a rotatable member, a conducting member extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotatable member and movable into position when rotated to complete the circuit through said terminals, a bearing in said casing, a shaftv rotatable in said bearing and support ing said rotatable member. and tension means for preventing table member moving longitudinally bearing. Y

2. In a rotary quench spark gap machine including in combination an enclosing casing with a detachable cover, a-pair of separated terminals. a rotatable member, a conof said ducting member extending parallel to the said shaft and rota-- 

